Second Chances
by FreekyDisaster18
Summary: All their relationship seems to consist of is arguing, Stuart wants the passion back that they had at the beginning. Can that really happen?
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE: So it appears we've all been kind of suckish at updating recently and that's literally heartbreaking! It kills me not having writer's block but here I am with a new STUART/EWAN masterpiece that will hopefully entice me back into my writing :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the OC's.**

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**[Arguments and Regrets]**

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Stuart and Ewan had been a couple now for nearly two years and they'd been engaged for a good three quarters of that time but there was no real rush for them to get married and it appeared that the longer they left it, the more restrained their relationship became. It seemed that all they did recently was argue and that Stuart was always grateful for a dead body to wind up so that he had an excuse to run out and not return home for hours or either days depending on how severe the case was. That's what was happening now, they were arguing once again.

"It's not my fault I was working this weekend, Ewan!" Stuart snapped angrily. He was fed up of Ewan hanging it over his head that he never did anything with Ewan's family and especially seeing as Ewan understood that Stuart's hours weren't really family friendly. He should have known that long before they ended up here.

"It's just a damned coincidence that you're working every time I arrange for us to go to my aunts!" The man pointed out calmly and Stuart ground his teeth, things would work much more beautifully if Ewan would just shout back at him. How come their arguing always consisted of Stuart's shouts and Ewan's calm comments which just infuriated Stuart more?

"That's exactly my point. _You _arrange for us to go to your aunts without even bothering to ask me or check my timetable. I can't just stop working for you."

"I just wish we could manage to make time for family," the man stated and Stuart's jaw dropped as he turned to look at the man, his hand running over his tired face as he bit back a tide of curse words that he felt towards the man at that precise moment.

"You're self-employed! You're a rich nightclub owner that hires staff! Hell, you never have to go into work if you didn't want to." He pointed out and the anger was apparent in his voice as was the need for this conversation to end soon because they were obviously going to end up saying something they regretted or it would be something he said because Ewan was always careful with his words. "You know for a fact that if I could I'd spend time with your family!" He shouted angrily and knew that Ewan was giving in when he sighed.

"I'm sorry, babe," he said moving towards Stuart, his hand moving up to caress his cheek before allowing their foreheads to meet as he bit his lip. "I didn't mean for that to sound as bad as it did. I know you can't help the hours that you work, it just frustrates me that we can't have anytime to ourselves anymore and when we do we have Ronan to take care of."

Stuart reached up and curled his fingers through the fingers that were stroking his cheek, his head tilting to the side so that his lips could press a tender kiss to the palm that awaited there. He agreed that they needed time to themselves but it was hard. "Do you think we rushed into this?" He whispered knowing that Ewan would move away and yet his heart still sunk when Ewan did pull himself free, his eyes wide as he stared at Stuart.

"What are you trying to say, Stuart?"

"Ewan, we went from a one night stand to an engaged couple and then straight after that we were fathers to a beautiful daughter. Do you never lie awake at night thinking that things could be differently?"

"Do you want things to be different?" Ewan asked him and Stuart looked at him, unsure of what his answer was to that simple question. He did wish that they'd had time to be just them but he would never regret the times they had shared with as a family Ronan.

"I sometimes feel that it's really only Ronan that keeps us together. We used to be so spontaneous and romantic before but now everything is based on a routine of when I can take care of her because of my hours or whatever after school class she's at." He watched Ewan's face fall and he moved over, his hands cupping the man's face in his hands before leaning down and stealing a small kiss. "You're hearing me wrong. I wouldn't change anything. I love her and more importantly I love you. I know that you're a pair and you're a pair that I'd never want to lose."

Ewan smiled lightly, his lips pressing against Stuart's one last time before pulling away. "You'd best get going to work before Burke comes and bangs the door down again." Stuart chuckled at the memory before leaning in and stealing one last kiss.

"I love you."

"I know you do." Ewan said and Stuart wanted to say how that wasn't his normal response but Ewan had already left so he just sighed and walked through the front door.

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"You and the husband had another fight?" Robbie asked as Stuart moved into the bullpen, his back turning almost immediately to hang up his coat and to also count to ten so that his tears wouldn't fall again at the word "husband".

"He's not my husband, Robbie and even if we had fought then it would be none of your business." Stuart pointed out moving over to his desk and switching on the computer. Robbie looked over at him, his heart sinking at the bright and puffy red eyes his friend was supporting and just sighed.

"What happened? It helps to talk you know." Stuart looked over at Robbie and just shrugged his shoulders.

"I might have just told him that I wish that sometimes things were different," he realised now as he told Robbie everything that he had been pretty stupid and did deserve the response that Ewan had given him as he left.

"What things do you wish were different?" Jackie's voice caused both guys to look up and once again Stuart shrugged but eventually sighed because he knew that the two of them would eventually get out of him what they wanted to know so he looked over at them, his tears threatening to overspill.

"I said that things had probably gone too fast between us. We were engaged almost immediately and then we went up being the parents to an eight year old? That's not what I had planned for my life, guys."

"Yet you admit that she's the most amazing thing to ever happen to you?" Robbie challenged causing Stuart to look at him in shock.

"Of course she is! She's everything you could wish for in a child. She's not disruptive, she's caring and she just loves to hang out with me and Ewan. How many children her age would you think understand the fact that she has two dad's rather than one? She's perfect." He heard himself saying these words and groaned. How come Robbie and Jackie always made him analyse his thoughts and he knew that he was in the wrong? "I need to apologise to Ewan," he went to reach for his phone but Robbie and Jackie both reached for the phone.

"It's not something for over the phone. He'd probably hang up on you because I know I would." Jackie said before moving to her desk as her own phone had rang. Stuart sighed.

"Fine, I'll just talk to him tonight." He muttered before turning his attention to his computer screen.

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It had been a long day for Stuart. All day he had been itching to reach over and phone Ewan, beg for him to forgive and just pray that he'd hear him whisper those three magic words but he had resisted because he knew that Jackie was right. Ewan would hang up on him and even if he didn't, he should. Stuart had been an absolute dick, again, and he'd put himself first. When Burke came out and said they could go home for the night, Stuart literally said bye to everyone and ran to get his coat.

"Slow down! He's not going anywhere." Robbie called after him turning to smile at Jackie. "So do you want me to come over tonight?"

"I think you might like that. Your little princess is coming to mine for tea." She said with a secret smile and Robbie looked at her, his eyebrows raised as he took hold of his coat and threw her hers.

"Okay. I'll be over for seven." He said giving her a wink before leaving. She just rolled her eyes and smiled.

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Just before Robbie managed to make it down to the police station's garage, Stuart was walking through minding his own business. He dug through his blazer pockets for his phone. Due to his distraction, he didn't hear anyone sneak up on him. A hand covered his mouth and he bit back against the shock, his body starting to struggle but suddenly something hit him on the side of his head causing him to black out. He was dragged across the car park, his lifeless body thrown into the back of his car.

The car pulled out of the garage just as Robbie stepped out of the elevator.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHORS NOTE: So chapter two of S/E loveliness, it's a short one I'm afraid but the next chapter will be better! I miss this pair, I should write them more. I shall write them more. It'll be a part of my April resolution :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own Ewan but that's fine by me because he's pretty damned cool :D**

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**[Tea, Thoughts and Madness]**

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He didn't know where he was but he knew for one thing it was dark and cramped.

His head pounded from where he'd been smacked and he moved his hands up to touch the spot and winced as he felt a lump there as well as dried blood. When he got out of this car, he knew whoever had attacked him was going to get a good kick in the face as well as maybe a bullet hole in their shoulder just to make Stuart feel a tiny bit better.

He started to kick at the sides of the small area that he was locked in, shouting for help when he silenced as he heard talking. There were two people... No, there was one. He could hear one voice and the long pause as he waited for someone else to talk. The sick son of a bitch was on the phone. So that did mean there was more than one person in on whatever had happened to Stuart.

He kicked the wall one last time before curling up into a ball, his tears falling down his face as he wished that he'd left the station with either Robbie or Jackie because then he wouldn't be locked in the boot of some asshole's car and he'd be going home to his fiancé. His fiancé... He sighed as he thought of Ewan.

The last thing he'd done was yell at the guy about how he didn't understand Stuart's hours as if that was the worst part of his job. He should have realised that this scenario he was in now was the worst part. The part where there was the fear that he wouldn't come home alive, the fear that he wouldn't be able to hold Ronan in his arms one more time and press small loving kisses against her cheeks as she squirmed because she was too old for kisses now, the fear that he wouldn't be able to hold his lover in his arms after a mellow night of love making and all they'd say was those three magic words...

Oh shit, those three magic words. He thought of how cold Ewan had been with him that morning and how he'd not said those three words. What kind of guilt would that cause for his lover? He knew that Ewan always felt bad about these things. He'd not coped well when his brother had died with an overdose and then his parent's suicide then Krystal's... He laughed. Even worse, what if he wasn't as important to Ewan as they had been and he didn't care? He could just move on and find Ronan a new second daddy. Ewan was a rich, caring, handsome man that always had men hanging on his every word. He didn't need Stuart like Stuart needed Ewan.

Stuart stopped thinking for a moment and burst out laughing. He'd been locked in the boot of someone's car for about thirty minutes and he was already starting to turn into Jack Torrance and feel like his family was out to get him? Some detective he made when dealing with pressure. He sighed as he kicked one last time at the side of the car,

"Let me out you bastard, they'll know I'm missing!" He shouted repeatedly kicking at the side. He knew that they weren't serious kidnappers because he wasn't tied up or anything, they'd literally just thrown him into the back of their boot without a care in the world. He groped around the floor looking for anything hard that he could use to help him escape once they popped the lid. He mumbled to himself, feeling more and more agitated every time because this boot seemed to be literally empty. Who on earth had an empty boot?

He was just about to start shouting again when the car came to a halt. He realised that now that he was facing the fear of someone about to hurt him, he had no idea what to do. He groped around the floor one last time before closing his eyes knowing that this would be a great time to conjure up manly strength and give the kidnapper a good punch on the jaw. This was why Robbie was always better in these situations, he reacted better to them!

Feet crunched against gravel beside him and his breath held as he feared the worst that was going to happen. The boot popped and it slowly opened, shadowing him in moonlight and Stuart's jaw dropped as he whispered, "You?"

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHORS NOTE: I don't like this chapter but I wanted to write a filler one before we saw who had kidnapped our boy. I was going to make this fluff but have decided on angsty. My bad! Next chapter... **

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the interesting OC's but I'm not too fussed about that because they're awesome!**

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**[Lost]**

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The candles flickered as Ewan bustled around their kitchen, the meal that he'd prepared – from the help of one of his dancers from the club – was still cooking on the oven nicely and he found himself smiling. He knew that this wasn't the way that Stuart had intended for them to add chemistry to their relationship again but he knew that this was a start. He wanted to show his partner that he did care and that he loved him.

He had phoned Jackie up as soon as Stuart had left that morning, begging for a favour even though he knew that Jackie would love to take Ronan for the night because the two girls always had a good time with each other. Ewan also knew that meant Robbie would go over to Jackie's house for the evening so that he could spend time with his princess. Sighing, he looked over down at his watch as he realised that Stuart should have been home ages ago.

Ewan knew not to get mad though because living with a detective meant he had become to understand that anything cropped up last minute and could keep them over hours. Jackie would have expressed permission from Burke so that she could come get Ronan. Ewan had been happy to have Jackie over for the short thirty minutes.

_The female detective moved into the kitchen where Ewan and Maria were stood laughing in the kitchen over the fact that he'd just spilled something all over the floor. "I hope you warned the poor woman of how much of a disaster you actually are!" Jackie laughed moving over to them to see what they were cooking. Maria laughed as she accepted Jackie's hand shake and introduced herself._

"_Oh it's a running joke in the club that Ewan is a disaster. He phoned to ask for my help so that he could wow Stuart." Maria looked over at her and smiled. "You must work with Stuart. I've never met such a wonderful guy especially a cop! They normally find out what I do and treat me like dirt," she gushed before turning to look at Ewan. "Well that's all I can really do. Now just keep your eye on it." She grabbed her bag. "Don't think I'm rude, Jackie. I've just got dance class to go to."_

"_Oh that's fine," Jackie said waving as the woman left before taking the mop off Ewan as he was just sloshing the water side to side. "Ewan, you should have just taken him out for dinner."_

"_We always do that. We're meant to be mixing things up. If he comes home and sees that I've cooked he'll know that I'm serious about making a change." Jackie smiled over at the man and wondered how she'd never managed to find someone that amazing. She squeezed his shoulder lightly. _

"_Stuart knows that you care about him, Ewan and even when he goes crazy to yell at you and you tell back at him, he still cares."_

"_Jackie darling, I want more than for Stuart to care for me! I want to marry the man. I care for my grannie!" He laughed shaking his head before seeing Ronan moving into the kitchen, a little backpack on her shoulders as she smiled, running over to aunty Jackie and covering her face in kisses. _

"_Hello sweetie, are you looking forward to staying with auntie Jackie?" The little girl nodded. "Well we'd best go before aunty Jackie stresses out daddy. Can you go stand at the door while I talk to Daddy?" The little girl nodded and moved away as Jackie moved to Ewan, her hands on his shoulders in support. "Stuart loves you and wants to spend the rest of his life with you, I promise. Now stop being negative and enjoy tonight!"_

"_Thanks mother," he teased kissing her cheeky. "I owe you, doll."_

"_Please don't call me that again," she laughed moving to the door. "Come on, let's go honey."_

Ewan sighed as he reached over for his mobile, typing in Jackie's number. He tapped against the desk impatiently before smiling when she answered. "Hi honey, have Robbie and Stuart gone to the pub?"

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On Jackie's end, she looked over at the floor where Robbie was sat playing snakes and ladders with Ronan. The little girl sat in his lap, her hand resting against his when he wasn't moving and then when he would she'd grab at his hand trying to stop him from playing. "No, Robbie is here with us. Why?"

"Stuart hasn't come home?"

"What! He left before us. He was determined to get home to talk to you..." She suddenly felt worried as she turned to look at Robbie. He was staring up at her now and mouthed what. She mouthed back that Stuart was missing. He shook his head. "Robbie will go look for him. You stay there in case he comes home." Robbie kissed the top of Ronan's head before standing up, his arms wrapping Jackie in a hug because he could see how worried she was.

"I'll find him," he promised and she forced a smile.

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Robbie had searched the normal haunts and then decided to go back to the police station. He knew it was an unlucky chance because there was no way that Stuart was that much of a coward but Robbie was a detective. He knew to dot his i's and cross his t's. He moved into the garage, wrapping his coat tighter around him because it was cold. He froze suddenly, his eyes focusing on the only car that rested there. Stuart's. He pulled out his mobile cursing as he called the police.

He reported that there was a detective missing. Last seen in the police station and all Robbie could think was that he'd followed Stuart out but had been too many steps behind him. He punched the air, his hand fisting through his hair. How was he going to tell Ewan?

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**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHORS NOTE: So this story has been neglected for a while (whoops!) so here I am with an update. It's totally OOC but I'm the author so what I do, goes ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own Ewan and Krystal**

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Altercation**

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He struggled against the bonds around his wrists, his grunts causing him more pain due to the electrical tape wrapped around his mouth. Now how did he get himself into these situations? It seemed to attract to him! He wriggled his wrists again hoping that the thick rope knot would come loose but it didn't. Instead he was just constantly burning the skin off of his wrists. He stopped and slammed his wrists down onto his legs.

"You can try all you want but you're not escaping," a female voice whispered over him as he tried to look around in the dark for her face again. His head throbbed from the two bangs that she had delivered him that night and the fast movement of him moving his head caused a painful reminder. He tried to speak but couldn't through the gag.

"_Why are you doing this?"_ He attempted and wasn't surprised when he just heard the one movement of her standing up from whatever she was sitting on. He tried to look around in the dark again but still couldn't make a clear shape.

"I wouldn't bother trying to talk because it'll just hurt eventually because of lack of air," she laughed and then he felt something brush against his ankle. The next thing he knew someone was sat on his knees, a hand was pressed to his cheek and he could feel hot breath teasing against the flesh that wasn't covered by the sticky tape. Stuart immediately stiffened. "I'm going to remove the gag, my love but you have to promise that you won't yell."

He couldn't promise anything due to having a gag covering his mouth but he nodded. He wouldn't yell. Stuart was known for being the calm detective. If she had kidnapped Robbie then she'd have had a shouter on her hands but Stuart stayed calm and tried to get inside their mind.

She yanked the electrical tape off in one swipe and the metallic taste that seeped into his mouth showed that his lips had been butchered from the simple swipe. He winced at the pain and the taste of blood wasn't one he had ever got used to no matter how many times he got punched through his job here. "I'm sorry, baby. Did that hurt?" He glared at her for a minute before moving to the side to spit the blood out, it dribbling down his chin as spitting wasn't an art he had quite got down yet.

"What do you want, Val?" He asked cringing as he could still taste blood.

"You never called me," she whispered stroking her hand through the blonde curls. "I had such a good night that night you came over and I wanted to..." He looked at her and she stopped talking. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

His teeth clenched in anger as he looked up at her. If she called him one more pet name, he was actually going to lose hold of the cool composure he had so far composed. He looked up at her. "Val, I was there to see Tyler because I wanted to..."

"Yeah but you spent the time with me instead. Surely that meant something else, baby." She said stroking his cheek and he could tell that she was actually being serious about this little obsession or whatever it was she had with him.

"Val," he said calmly. "That happened over a year ago!" How could this woman even be seriously kidnapping him now over something that had happened a year or more ago? It was stupid and he couldn't believe that he was still bound. "Why are you only attacking me now?"

"Darling," he gave her another droll look because his eyes had now adjusted to the dark and he could see her. "I've been trying to get in touch with you for months and I even follow you. I was going to leave you alone but then I saw you with that woman," she glared down at the floor. "I thought you was gay and yet here you were spending time with a woman."

"What woman?" He demanded to know because he never hung about with women.

"She was so beautiful with the most gorgeous ginger hair and I swear she could have been a model." She sounded so sad at the sentence that Stuart did feel slightly bad. "I didn't think you were like that, Stuart. I thought you went for personality and I doubt she had any."

She was talking about Krystal. Stuart could tell straight away and he had to admit that if anyone from the outside had seen the way they had acted then you would think they were a couple. They'd held hands because it helped her walk, she'd always been cuddling him and then there had been the odd kiss. Ewan had found it weird at first but then realised that it was just Krystal being over friendly like she had been when she was a teenager and he'd loved it. Thinking about her now made him realise how fantastic she was and how much more she could have been, a sad smile decorated his face.

"That's my fiancé's ex-wife," he whispered slightly as he looked at her, his hands still trying to escape the bounds. "She was my best friend."

"She was?" Val commented on his past tense.

"She was murdered and it doesn't have anything to do with you so stop asking questions." He said gruffly.

"Okay honey, I wouldn't want to upset you. Let's talk about this fiancé of yours instead." She was goading him. He could sense it in her tone and he knew that he wasn't going to let her get away with this so he looked at her.

"He's a lovely man and I don't want to talk to you about him either, Val. I want to go home to my fiancé and child." He looked down at the floor and she just laughed.

"I have you now, my love. Do you really think you're leaving me this time?" She pushed herself off of him by using his chest as support, he grunted. She leant over him and smiled, her eyes showing something that he didn't want to see. She was evil. "I'd put the gag back on you but we're in the middle of nowhere and I don't want to waste it." She started towards the door and walked out, ignoring his cries of her name.

He continued shouting her name for several minutes before slumping down against the wall, his gaze falling onto his phone that was across the room. What was he going to do now?

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHORS NOTE: So once again this chapter has no real point but I just wanted to highlight that Val is cuckoo! I hope you enjoy xD **

**DISCLAIMER: I only own Ewan and Ronan**

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**[Psychopath Alert]**

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Ewan was sat in the interrogation room.

All three detectives felt it was wrong for him to be in there but it was standard procedure. Stuart had told them that it was only this morning that they'd had a big bust up which had ended up with Ewan not saying 'I love you back' and Stuart walking out the house upset. They knew that Stuart had said that he had wished that things should have gone slower. In any detective's eyes, Ewan looked as suspicious as sin for their main suspect but these three detectives knew differently. They were only going to talk to Ewan to try and get some leads.

"I don't know why you have me here," Ewan whispered through his tears when Robbie walked into the room. Burke was behind the mirror and Jackie was up in the bullpen playing with Ronan. "I didn't hurt Stuart. You should know that I would..."

"I know." Robbie said sitting down on the chair and looking over at Ewan. "You've just got to understand that this is procedure. You're the spouse and we all know that you and Stuart had an argument this morning..."

"Yes we did," Ewan said and Robbie detected a hint of something in his voice but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "And do you want to know something, Robbie?" Robbie knew that this wasn't actually going to be something he wanted to hear. It should have probably been a wise choice to bring another team into doing this is especially seeing as they normally worked homicides.

"What?" He said regretting it the minute the word slipped out of his mouth.

"I didn't tell him I loved him," Robbie mentally released a sigh of relief. It was something they already knew from talking to Stuart. "Do you know how that makes me feel to know that he's now lost? The last thing I did was rebuff that he loved me. You sit in my place for a few minutes and realise that I would never hurt him. I'll always love him no matter how much cold feet he gets. I'll be there by his side through them all just like you would be!"

"Ewan, we know you didn't do anything. You're not stupid enough to hurt one of us and not Stuart. Murder isn't your MO and we're not going to start believing it is now, okay?" Ewan closed his eyes, a fresh round of tears falling down his cheeks as he nodded his admittance. "Now I need to ask you a few questions, okay?" He nodded again. "Good."

"Is Ronan okay?" He asked before the questions could start and Robbie nodded.

"She's down the hall with Jackie," he informed him with a smile before looking down at his hands. "Has Stuart said anything to you recently about anyone following him?"

Ewan looked up at him, his eyebrows crossed as he thought over the absurd question. Why would Stuart tell him anything like that? He'd always kept his work private from their lives so not to hurt either of them and it was easier that way seeing as the police were still waiting on their chance to arrest Ewan. "No." He whispered but then straightened up. "I've noticed someone though."

Robbie had been scribbling in his notepad when Ewan had admitted that. At the words, his pencil stalled and he looked up at Ewan. It was a silent invitation for Ewan to continue but he was unsure if his friend would work it out. "What can you tell me?"

"It was a small silver polo," he whispered. "The woman that drives it is pretty tall with blonde corkscrew curls. I'd say she's of a mature age. I didn't think much of it at first because a lot of the street has gone up for sale recently so I just assumed that she's a new resident but I haven't seen the car when I leave at night and she circles several times. She never looked directly at the house so I don't think..." He stopped talking when he saw Robbie staring at him. "What's wrong?"

"Were the curls controlled?"

"What kind of..."

"Ewan," Robbie snapped. He'd have thought that Ewan would have been someone easy to interrogate. How wrong had he been? "It doesn't matter how absurd the question is I just need an answer, okay?"

"No. It looked as if she was due to go back to the hairdressers to get them done again..." he stopped talking as he looked over at him. "You know who she is," he said nodding his head before looking down at the table. "Stuart's having an affair?" Robbie stared at him for a minute before laughing.

"I don't think Stuart would have an affair with a woman," he admitted before sighing. "Ewan you realise that I can't..."

The guy cut him off with a nod and a simple statement of, "I just need you to find him. He needs to know that I love him." Robbie rose from his chair. He was about to walk away when he sighed and turned back to Ewan. He knelt down and squeezed his shoulder.

"Ewan, Stuart knows. I can promise you that." He walked away at that sentence and suddenly felt like Jackie. When did he care about making someone feel better?

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"That case is years old," Burke gruffly responded as they sat and watched the tapes. "Why would you assume it's Val?"

"Because Stuart told me that after he had that drink with her she had rang him a few times and she made it clear that she loved him and nothing was going to get in the way." Robbie explained also staring intently at the tapes. "That's why he changed his number. Our fellow detective has no luck with ladies,"

"To be fair Robbie, he dates men for a reason," Jackie pointed out as she moved into the small room before pointing at the time. "Stuart had left by that time."

"What?" Burke asked. "Stuart never leaves on time," he said picking up the remote and handing it to Jackie so that she could adjust the time.

"He'd been fighting with Ewan. He had wanted to get home and apologise," she responded before pressing play. They watched as Stuart stepped out of the elevator, his smile huge and it was obvious what he was thinking about. Jackie felt tears in her eyes as she waited for what was next. Someone came up behind him and hit him. The face whipped round and it was distorted but it was very apparent what you could see. Blonde curls.

"Fuck," Robbie said running his hand through his hair as he saw himself come out just after Stuart got locked in the boot. "If only I had moved faster!" He sighed. "Let's see when the silver car arrived."

They rewound the tape and found themselves staring in horror at the time she'd arrived.

She'd arrived at the same time as Stuart and had camped out in her car all day. "That's beyond obsessed," Robbie confirmed.

"She wasn't afraid of being caught," Jackie said wanting to punch the woman so badly.

"Great," Burke stood up from his chair. "We're dealing with a hardcore psychopath." The other two detectives groaned.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHORS NOTE: So this is the latest chapter of this story. I had totes forgotten I was writing this one! I actually like the idea behind this one so god knows why I forgot! I love writing psychos... It's a true story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own Ronan and Ewan**

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**[Is This Make Believe or Not?]**

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Stuart had no idea how long he'd been missing now. He'd floated in and out of sleep for the past few hours, praying each time that he opened his eyes that this scenario would be nothing more than a nightmare. He was disappointed every time. Every time he woke up in the same make shift dungeon, his limbs weak for being tied and he couldn't help but whimper.

"Baby, I don't like the sounds that you make." She whispered crawling towards him, her hand stroking his cheek as she smiled at him. "If you behave and admit you love me, we can have a normal life but you won't do that will you?" He glared at her and she smiled before reaching up to remove the gag from his mouth, offering him water through a straw that he took greedily. "Slowly," she warned not wanting him to choke. He then stopped drinking. What if she had slipped something into it? This drink could be his last one.

"Val, I want to go back to my daughter. She's going to be missing her daddy!" He said in a soft tone and she looked at him, her jaw relaxed as she just shook her head before standing up.

"Why can't you just love me, Stuart?" She shouted angrily throwing the glass of water against the wall causing it to smash, the shards cutting Stuart's face because he had been too slow to turn away from it. She gasped as she knelt down. "Oh my baby, I'm so sorry I would never hurt you. I love you too much to make you be in pain."

"You're putting me through pain now, Val. I want my family."

"I loved you despite the fact that you've been playing away, Stuart." He looked at her with wide eyes. He could see what had happened now. She was suffering from that psychological disorder where she immediately believed that one slight attachment could mean a relationship. From that one drink she'd gone on to believe that they were dating. Hence the stalking that she'd mentioned, the way she believed that Stuart was cheating on her with Ewan. "I forgive you. McIntyre is a powerful man. He has his ways of making people fall in love," she whispered stroking back his blonde hair as she leant and licked one of the bleeding cuts.

Stuart closed his eyes as he tried to pull his face away, "Val, you have to stop this. They'll be looking for me and then you'll be in so much trouble."

"You kept our relationship secret, Stuart. How will they know about me? I was just some woman you met once. They're not to know that we fell in love and had a beautiful relationship after that one meet," she said with a happy smile on her face as she cuddled up against him, her face burrowing away into his neck.

"I told Robbie about you," he admitted but it wasn't the way that she wanted to be known. He'd told Robbie about a pathetic woman that couldn't understand that he was homosexual. He'd told Robbie about a woman that had clung onto the faintest idea of a relationship. He had never began to imagine that Valerie was this desperate to be with him. This was a whole new level of weird for him and he'd seen years of weird.

"That doesn't matter now," she whispered even though a huge part of her was happy that he'd told his best friend about her. It meant he hadn't been completely ashamed of her. "I used to sit and wait for you coming home from work, you know but you never came for me. You always wanted your other half."

"I love him, Val." He said wondering why he was suddenly playing into this facade. It wasn't as if it was going to have a happy ending. He knew of the famous quote "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" but something was telling him that she needed a break up. She needed to know that whatever was going on in her mind was over. "I'm sorry. It wasn't meant to be the real thing but there's something about him..."

"His bank balance probably," she said moving away from him, her hand trembling as she bit back tears. "I thought I could convince you to love me again. I had it all planned. I thought that just a few more hours with me would make you realise that I was your everything," Stuart shook his head. He pitied the woman. He really did. She believed in everything she was saying and he could sense the pain that she was in.

"Valerie, love doesn't work like that."

"I know but what we have is amazing, Stuart. Why would want to throw that away for him?" She asked and he could see that she was starting to calm down. He didn't want to make her angry.

"I have a family with him. We have a beautiful little girl," he said and then he regretted that as she struck him across the face. The familiar metallic taste washed into his mouth as he looked up at her.

"I wanted a family with you. We could have had our own beautiful girl but you always rejected the idea. You could never spend any intimate moments with me because you were too busy falling in love with that..." she wrinkled up her face, "man whore!"

"Don't call him that!" Stuart shouted angrily and he tried to pull free. "He's an amazing man! He's everything I could ever hope for and he doesn't deserve this!" She then started to smile as she knelt down in front of him again, her hands taking hold of his cheek.

"Now that's what I wanted, baby. I needed to hear the passion. I needed to know that I was losing you to someone that really deserves you," she whispered pressing her forehead against his, her tears falling down her cheeks. "I love you," she whispered before moving away. "I'm sorry but no one can have you."

"What?" He said watching her walk away.

"I'm going to hand myself in and admit that I kidnapped you but they'll never find you, Stuart." She looked down at him, tears falling down her cheeks at a rapid pace as she smiled. "You'll thank me for it eventually, I promise."

"Don't! What about my family?" He cried out as the door shut behind her. Tears fell down his own face as he admitted defeat. Did this really mean he would never see his family again?

* * *

"Robbie," Burke said moving out of his office. "There's a blonde woman downstairs wanting to confess to kidnapping a detective." Robbie looked over at Burke, his eyebrows raised. Where was the sense in handing yourself in? What do you get out of something so stupid?

"I'm on it boss," he said moving down to the front desk knowing that this woman would regret the day she hurt one of his own.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHORS NOTE: So I always forget about this story. Shame on me! I shall now remember about it and hopefully have it finished soon because I have more case stories buzzing around in my brain but apparently I don't write well when I have millions on the go! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own Ewan and Ronan the rest belong to STV and Glenn Chandler**

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**[Annoying Confessions]**

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"Please may I have a glass of water?" She asked looking up at the handsome detective as he moved into the interrogation room, his hand weighed down with a file which she guessed would have no information in because she was always careful.

"No," he said moving to sit down, his hand resting against the yellow manila folder as he stared at her, his head moving to the side as he took her in. "You are advised to have an attorney with you," he said repeating Burke's instructions. It had been made clear that she'd previously refused an attorney but Burke always liked it on tape too. She smiled at him.

"Now Robbie, I have already said that I don't need an attorney. Do I really need to repeat myself?" She said reaching over to squeeze his hand which he quickly moved away from her reach as he looked at her. "Now I am here to make a confession."

"You have Stuart," he said opening the manila folder and showing her the several pictures they'd managed to get off the CCTV from the garage. He watched as she stroked Stuart's face with her chipped nails, a sad look on her face as she shook her head.

"No. I never had Stuart," she whispered looking up at him. "I love him so much but he never reciprocated. He was too busy playing house with that..." she stopped talking and looked down at the picture again. "Are you sure I'm not allowed a glass of water?" He sighed before looking up at the mirror and nodding his head knowing that either Jackie or Burke would send someone to get her a glass. "Thank you," she said seriously.

"Why did you kidnap him?"

"Because I needed him to tell me that he loved me."

"And did he?" Robbie could probably see Stuart lying to get his hands right. The guy might be straight and narrow but the guy could kick your arse at poker with his damned poker face. He had faith in Stuart being able to lie and tell this woman what she needed to hear to save his life.

"No. He kept talking about his family and about how his little girl needed his daddy," she spat out. "I'd have provided him with family if he'd have just said it but no, he couldn't bring himself to even lie to make me feel good!"

"Where is he?" Robbie said thinking that if he ever got hold of the man, he was going to teach him that white lies were okay. It could save a life in the end of everything.

"Now that would be telling, Robbie. He knows the game. He knows that if he doesn't admit to loving me that he suffers. There's no one good enough in the world for my Stuart." She said smiling at the man, her hands crossing on the table and Robbie looked at them properly before wincing. They were covered in blood.

"Did you..." She also looked down at her hands and laughed as she shook her head.

"Robbie, do you really think I could hurt a hair on his beautiful head? No. I love him too much to kill him. He's just going to slowly die in his own mess in my hiding place and don't think I'll ever tell you where it is because that's what I told him. I told him that I'd hand myself in and admit that I had indeed kidnapped and nearly tortured a detective but the ultimate torture is knowing that he's in the middle of nowhere while his family and friends go crazy looking for him. It'll kill him and make me sleep at night."

"You twisted bitch," he said slamming his hands down on the table. "You tell us where he is or you'll never see sunlight again. You'll still get put away for murder!" She started to laugh and he stared at her blankly.

"Prison is better than living in a world where I can't have Stuart's love, Robbie. The man will die and I'll know I was the last person to press a kiss to his lips, the last person he ever spoke to and the last person to hold him. That will also torture his lover so all in all a good day's work, don't you agree?" He stood up, his hands clenching into fists and he knew it would be so easy to lean over the table and deliver a blow to her face to wipe that smug grin off her face but she wasn't worth it.

"Officer," he called out to the man stood at the door and when it opened, he cocked his head towards the woman. "Put her in one of the cells with the lights off and the food hole shut,"

"You can't do that," she shouted at him as he started towards the door.

"Sweetheart, no one will ever find out and I can do as I please when looking for one of ours." He clicked his fingers for the man to take her out and he moved into the opposite room, staring as she fought with the detective pleading for Robbie to come back. She apparently had more to say and Robbie knew this hence why he was locking her away.

"We need to find Stuart," Jackie said looking over to Robbie. "I'd say let's go to her house and check her computer to see if she was hiring any other lot but computer work is Stuart's domain," she said her voice cracking as she looked back into the room which was now empty apart from the glass of water that had been knocked over in the struggle. Robbie laid his hands on the woman's shoulders and squeezed them slightly.

"Don't worry, we'll borrow one of the tech guys for now and Stuart will be back with his geek talk before we even know it." He turned her round to face him, his finger tipping up her chin so that she was staring straight at him. "I promise, Jackie. Stuart will be back with us soon and she'll be rotting in jail."

"I hope so," she whispered pressing her forehead to his shoulder as she allowed him to comfort her for a few seconds before pulling away. "I'll go find a free tech guy while you hunt us a search warrant?"

"Done deal," he smiled at how she knew that he hated having to go down to the tech room where all the geeks hung out. They treated Robbie like some sort of God and he didn't much appreciate it at times. She just laughed before moving out of the room leaving Robbie to stare emptily as he thought of places that were "in the middle of nowhere" as she'd said. He pulled out his phone and dialled one of his contacts, maybe they'd know something.

* * *

Stuart slammed his head down on the wall as the tears fell uncontrollably down his face. How could he have got himself into this kind of trouble? The scorned woman was normally Robbie's scene and he knew that if he got out of this alive, he'd never hear the end of it. He just wanted to go home where he could lie in Ewan's arms and listen to Ronan singing along with her favourite cartoons or just listen to her bumble about how amazing her day has been.

No. Instead he was lying in a darkened cellar, his hands tied behind his back and his head feeling extremely light especially seeing as he was wasting his energy on the tears that he couldn't stop. He found himself lying in his own mess and he couldn't take the heat anymore. He could see the sunlight seeping through a window but it was dim suggesting that it was either dusk or dawn and from Val saying she was going to the station he took a guess at dusk.

He didn't think he could survive another day in this prison and he didn't know if he wanted to or if he had the strength to do so.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHORS NOTE: So I've been so bad and haven't updated ANY of my stories in a long time. I am so sorry but here I am with another chapter of this and I hope you like. I needed to bring my favourite psychologist in so as you can guess this is before the London series and I've made it that Jackie did know Jenny slightly but not personally before the case.**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the OC's**

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**[The Shrink]**

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"What do you mean we can't hold her?" Robbie demanded to know as he stood in Burke's office. "She made a confession. She confessed to having kidnapped Stuart. She's guilty Burke and you fucking know it!" Burke decided not to focus on the use of language and stood up so that he could move and close the door so that it was just him and his two detectives in on this conversation.

"Robbie, that woman is the only one who knows where Stuart is. If we let her go, where do you think the first place she'll visit is?" Burke said as he moved back to sit in his seat. He didn't have any permission to let the woman out. He knew that his boss would want her to rot in jail and just wait for her to snap and tell someone where Stuart was but Burke could sense that the woman meant it when she said she wouldn't tell anyone anything. He needed her to lead them to Stuart. "Look guys, I'm breaking every rule here and I need you guys to be with me."

The two detectives swapped glances because they knew how much Burke enjoyed working by the rule book. They sat down in the chairs, their hands touching slightly as a sign of being there before nodding. "Okay," Jackie whispered. "We'll let her go but we can't be the ones on detail because she'll recognise us straight away and then that will ruin the case because she'll see us."

"I know. That's why I'm going to get someone else to do the following detail. I need you guys to do all the research to find out every building she owns, her family own and even friends if we have to. She has Stuart on a piece of her property because if it wasn't then someone else would have found him by now." He pointed out and Jackie sensed that this was true also so she immediately stood up from her chair and moved to the door. She paused for a minute, a sad smile gracing on her face.

This was normally what Stuart's job was. He was the computer geek. He'd be the one that could find you anything you wanted in like five minutes because of how easily he could manipulate a machine into doing what he wanted whereas Robbie and she struggled to sometimes even get their machine to turn on! He was constantly updating their software, telling them about the new bits and pieces that he'd got for them so that they could do their jobs quicker but it always ended up being him doing the work. He said they'd need it just in case anything ever happened to him and it seemed that day had come.

"You okay, Jackie?" Burke asked as he awkwardly tapped buttons on his own machine, his gaze moving up to look at her and she forced a smile.

"I was just thinking about how we could do with a tech nerd about now," she laughed before leaving his office and then Burke turned to look at Robbie. The latter could tell that he wasn't about to like what was about to come.

"I've called in Dr Scott to talk to Valerie before letting her go," Robbie groaned not caring about how much Burke pointed out that that was a sign of being disrespectful. "Robbie, if her lawyer can show that she's insane then she can get away with this crime. I want our own shrink to take a look at her, okay?" He pointed out before handing Robbie a case file. "She's also a detective so she knows what she's looking for. She's highly qualified and I value your opinion as well that's why you'll be doing the interview with her."

"Why would I want to do the interview with a shrink? You know what I think about them, Burke. They talk total nonsense just to help people get away with crimes that they committed,"

"I can tell from how defensive that you had a bad run in with a psychiatrist or a shrink as you so crudely call them," a voice from behind them said and Robbie whipped round to see a very pretty redhead stood at the door. "I value your opinion, Detective Ross but I can tell you now that your faith doesn't sit low with just me but in the woman population in general you just have a particular hatred to my type because a previous partner has obviously made you see one of my kind to sort out your problems and he just told you that thanks to a bad bond with your mother, you can't attach yourself to a woman without the fear that she's going to leave you so you leave them first. I mean, being the heartbreaker rather than the one with the broken heart is much easier to the soul."

Robbie stared at her for a moment and had to admit that he was impressed. It was more a case of her being psychic rather than a shrink and he had to admit, she'd definitely had made him smile despite their current situation. He stood up and shook her hand. "I think that we might have just got off on the wrong foot."

"Oh no, Detective Ross," she cried out waving her hand as if trying to bat the comment out of the way, "every detective I have come in contact with have the same opinion and yes sometimes thanks to the conclusions that "shrinks" come up with do get the suspect into a psych ward rather than a prison but sometimes it's needed." She pointed out before looking at him, her fingertip tapping on her watch. "Do you mind if we get a move on? I have other detectives to belittle." She smiled brightly at him and Robbie couldn't help but smile as he showed her out of the office.

Burke watched after them, an amused frown on his face as he thought that someone like Dr Scott would be good on his team just due to the reason she could control Robbie like that! She'd pegged him within three seconds and Burke had seen how shocked Robbie was. He knew when this case was over; they'd all laugh about it.

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Robbie arrived at the door and turned to look at the psychiatrist, "you realise this woman is like really crazy?" he said and she turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised. He then realised what he'd said and how she would probably see this every day in her profession and smiled. "Give me a chance, doc. I really see crazy people." He pointed out before opening the door. "Valerie, I brought someone to meet you."

The blonde woman looked up at the psychiatrist, her gaze flickering over every little detail before turning back to focus on Robbie. "No matter who you bring down to see me, Detective Ross, I am not going to tell you where my Stuart is." She pointed out coldly before turning to smile at the woman. "Did you ever get to meet my handsome boyfriend?"

The doctor moved to sit down across from the woman and shook her head, "no. I never got the pleasure but from what I've heard, he is a wonderful man." She said deliberately making sure that she used the present tense to see how she answered. If the woman used present, they knew that Stuart was still alive but if she started talking in past then they'd know that wherever he was, he was dead.

"Oh he is. He is fantastic and he would have made a brilliant father," she pointed out and Jenny scribbled down the note that using the mix up between both tenses meant that Stuart was possibly still alive but she didn't give him much chance and that meant wherever he was he could be suffering. She made sure that Robbie could read it before turning to look at the woman.

"Tell me, Valerie. If you love Stuart, why are you hurting him?"

"He hurt me first by running into a relationship with that..." she took a deep breath before continuing. "that man! Do you know what that did to our relationship? I lost all my trust in him. He destroyed everything we had. Did you know he stopped coming to see me and he played father to that man's bastard daughter? My Stuart is a good Catholic boy and he would have stayed that way if that fag hadn't got to him." Robbie's fists clenched at the derogatory term used towards Ewan but decided just to take a step away.

"How long were you dating Stuart before he ended it with you?"

"That's the problem, Miss. Stuart never ended things with me. He loves me but is just too afraid to admit it. I don't know what kind of hold that man has on my Stuart but it is him that should be in this room, not me!" Robbie was slowly starting to lose his patience but he could tell that the doctor was getting what she wanted because she looked slightly pleased and that was angering Robbie just as much.

"So how long would you say you were dating Stuart?"

"It would be about five years now," she said smiling before looking at the doctor. "Can I have a glass of water now please?" It was a simple sentence but Robbie knew that the interview was over. She wouldn't talk to Jenny anymore and he motioned for them to leave.

"Well what did you get out of that?" He asked as they moved towards Burke's office again. She, however, didn't speak until all three of them were in the office.

"She really believes that a relationship happened between her and Stuart. She's never going to change her mind on that. You'll find out that she's been stalking him since that first day. She'll have been in the same location as him, eaten the same meals and to her that would have been like a diet. She never approaches him because a part of her does understand that what she is doing is totally wrong but at the same time, she's in love with a man that could possibly never love her back because he's..."

"Gay." Robbie finished off for her. He sighed. "So Dr. Freud, what do you suggest we do to help find our missing detective?" She looked at him, her arms folding over her chest as she tilted her head to the side.

"You use names to push people away and especially when you fear they're making you look less intelligent. By mentioning a famous psychologist, you've immediately forced out that you do know something even if it isn't relevant to the conversation because everyone knows that Freud worked more on child sexual cases and didn't understand female thinking but I think you probably relate on that one," she pointed out causing Jackie to snort out her coffee, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to control her choking. Robbie just glared at the psychiatrist. "However, Valerie imagined something about a partner?

"Yes. Stuart dates Ewan McIntyre,"

"Isn't that the nightclub owner?" She asked looking down at her notes, her hands flicking through papers wondering why she'd not read that before.

"Yeah," Robbie said not wondering why that was important. "I don't see how he could be relevant to the case."

"He might not be but talking to Valerie might be a great choice. If she can see that Ewan doesn't have a hold over Stuart and that it is literally love than maybe she will tell us about his location?" She pointed out and sat down. "She said that he moved in with him and his daughter. Children pull the greatest heartstrings. You could even just have her playing in the corner with one of the detectives. She might be a psycho but she's still a woman and even more, a woman that wanted Stuart's children and that's exactly what the young girl is even if she isn't biological."

"And if that doesn't work?

"Then she's criminally insane and your plan to let her go is a dangerous one."

"Yet possibly the only way we could get Stuart back," Robbie argued causing the doctor to look at him and sigh. She could see that all three of them were worried about the fourth member. She could sense that they were well past the stage of just being collegeause and now they were a family. One of their own was missing and it was driving them crazy. It also seemed to be that they'd do anything to get him back.

"What if she hurts someone else first?"

"That, doctor, is a risk I am willing to take to make sure that my best friend is home with his family by the end of this week or even preferably tonight," Robbie said getting up and leaving the office without even excusing himself. She sighed as she took his emptied seat, her hand rubbing at her face as she shook her head.

"Thank you for your opinion on this case, Jenny." Burke said and the woman turned to smile at him, her shoulders rising in a shrug.

"It seems you're not going to listen so why did you call me in?"

"Oh we're going to listen," he said picking up his phone and dialling a number. There was a pause before he said the words, "Hey Ewan, its Matt. I need a favour."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHORS NOTE: Another story I totally forgot about. I suck at updating. I should only have like ONE story happening at a time. This one should be coming to an end eventually, hopefully, so bear with me!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters apart from Ewan and Ronan.**

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**[Ewan V Valerie]**

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"You want me to what?" Ewan said after being introduced to Dr Scott and being brought up to speed with their not so clever plan. "You want me to go in there and talk nice to the woman that has kidnapped my husband?" He said laughing as he shook his head, his fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose as he tried to control himself. "Burke, if I go in there I'm more likely to kill her than be friends with her."

Burke turned to look at the man and nodded his head. "I understand that, Ewan but you're probably the only chance we have to get through to her. It's either that or we let Stuart rot wherever she's left him and I know you don't want that either."

Staring at the detective, Ewan felt his jaw waver as the tears started to take over his emotions. He knew that Burke was right. If he could get through to the woman then maybe she'd realise that everything was going to be okay or maybe she'd even slip up but Ewan could feel the desperation towards wanting to strangle her. "Will one of you be in there with me?"

"No. We want it to look like you've gone in there of your own accord but we will be in the observation room. Ewan, you need to try and get as much information out of her as you need and if that doesn't work then..." He stopped talking because he didn't even want to admit what the outcome was. The team searching through her assets were coming out dry and he didn't know what kind of state Stuart was in which would have a factor on his strength and survival.

"Okay. I'll try my best." He said knowing that he needed to do this for his family and being able to face the woman that did this to them would be good for him. He looked down at Ronan. "I don't want to take her in though. I know you want to pull on her maternal instincts but I'm not doing that to her." Burke nodded his agreement and asked for one of the officers to take Ronan out to get her some ice cream. Ewan gave his daughter a kiss and smiled, "You be good for this officer, okay?" He said before following Burke down to the interrogation room but Burke continued down onto the observation door. He nodded his head at him before slipping inside.

Ewan stared at the door handle for a moment before slipping inside and stared at Valerie for a moment, his tears falling down his cheeks. "Hello. I don't think you know who I..." But she cut him off.

"Of course I know who you are. You're the home wrecking bastard that stole my chance at happiness," she snapped angrily and Ewan just nodded his head before moving to sit down in front of her. She looked at him. "You have no right to be in here, Mr McIntyre."

"Well that's true but seeing as it's my husband that's missing then I think the detective's might give me a little slap on the wrist for breaking protocol." He lied smoothly before looking down at his hands. "Why are you doing this to my family?" He demanded to know. He was going to try and lull her into a conversation first but he could see that that wouldn't work on her so blunt was the best way forward. She smiled.

"Was it really a family though? I heard you guys yelling at each other all the time and how many times did Stuart storm out of the house?" And Ewan could see that she'd been following them both for longer than he'd imagined because Stuart hadn't stormed out to go to Jackie's house in a long time.

"Please name me a family that doesn't argue," he asked with a soft smile and she looked at him, a laugh escaping her lips as she shook her head. "Yes. I argued with Stuart and Stuart argued right back. It was always over silly little things like him being afraid of being a good father to our daughter or even smaller like the dishes or something. It was never a scary argument. He always came back home to us."

"He should have been coming back home to me. He's my boyfriend. He loves me but you enchanted him with your ways and your promises. He knows he was foolish but he just doesn't want to admit it," Valerie promised Ewan and he burst into tears as he realised that this woman wasn't going to break as easy as everyone had predicted.

"Please. I just want my husband back. I want to apologise for yelling at him that morning. I didn't even tell him that I loved him and if I never see him again, how am I supposed to live with that?" He hadn't even wanted to do the emotional blackmail but the heartless bitch had got to him. He could see that she was enjoying this torment. The idea that he was going through what she'd apparently going through was making her happy. "You bitch," he shouted through his tears slamming his hand down at the table. "What am I supposed to tell our daughter? Oh baby, I'm sorry. Some psycho bitch couldn't fall in love so she became obsessed with your father and then killed him because he wouldn't leave us?"

"No because that would be a lie, Mr McIntyre. Your daughter would soon find out that her "father" never loved her anyway. She was just the ball and chain that kept him with you in the first place," she recited causing Ewan to glare at her.

* * *

Behind the glass, Robbie's hands clenched into fists. "Are you actually kidding? You're seriously expecting Ewan to keep his calm when facing this bitch?" He demanded seeing the way Ewan's face was flickering with emotions. "She knows what buttons to press."

"Oh come on, he'll be calm." Jackie said but her words were taken back when Ewan stood up, the chair clattering to the floor with a bang causing even Jackie to wince but Valerie didn't even flinch. "Or maybe not," she said flashing him a grimace. Robbie shook his head as he turned to look at Burke who was about to talk when there was a knock at the door and a tech walked in.

"Sir, we think we've found Stuart." The three detectives immediately followed him out of the door. This might be the break they finally needed.

* * *

His head was pounding; his eyes dry from the lack of dehydration and his heart slowly thudding in his ears. He slumped in his chair, his head resting against his shoulder as he tried to focus on anything so that he wouldn't fall asleep. He knew that the minute he fell asleep it would be game over. "Don't fall asleep, baby." He heard Ewan saying in the distance and he smiled.

"I can't," he said hoarsely and he wasn't even sure if he was speaking out loud but he didn't care. The guy that he was talking to was a figment of his imagination anyway. "I can't fall asleep but oh god, it sounds so good!" He laughed to himself and shook his head. "Why aren't you saving me?" He whispered but as he opened his eyes again. He was alone.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHORS NOTE: The bad thing about updating more than one story at a time is that you slowly run out of things to write as your authors note. I'm going to have to start thinking of really corny jokes just to keep you enthralled... Ah well... New chapter! You also got them all at once because my internet was down - again.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything but Ewan and Ronan.**

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**[The Find]**

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How could she say that about Stuart's love for Ronan? It sometimes felt as if Ronan and Stuart had a better relationship than Ewan did with either with them and that's because Stuart was more naturally paternal. It was in his blood. All he wanted to do was be a good father and that was what he was. "My husband loves his daughter."

"She's not his daughter though. I mean, not legally." Val pointed out causing Ewan to realise she had him there. The couple had been together for years but they'd never approached that idea. It would be a lovely idea and Ronan would be over the moon about Stuart being her legal parent. They truly did love him. So what had stopped them? "Maybe it's because you don't want to share her? You finally have something pure in your life and you don't want to taint it with the wrongs that is your lifestyle."

"No. If that was true then Stuart wouldn't be allowed anywhere near her. I love my daughter and my husband. They're my family and you're the bitch that's destroying that by stealing him away from us." He rose from his chair and looked down at her. "Maybe you should meet the little girl that stole his heart? I mean, she's just down the corridor with an officer eating ice cream and playing with some toys they found for her. I'm sure she won't mind taking a break for five minutes to come say hi to you." He snapped and the woman just continued to glare at him.

There was no reply from her so Ewan moved to the door and started to call but Val screamed, her hand slamming down on the metal of the table as she looked at him. "No. Please. Don't bring her in. I wouldn't be able to bear it." She whispered as she started to cry, her face being buried into the nook of her elbow as she let the sobs take control. Ewan grinned as he closed the door and moved back towards her.

"So you do have human feelings after all?" He pointed out as he pulled out his chair so he could sit back down. "What triggered them?" He wanted to know. He didn't want to believe it was because she had a maternal bone because not all women did. You just had to take one look at Myra Hindley and the murders she commited with her partner to know that was true about some women.

"I know how much he loves her," she whispered and looked down at her hands. "I know that it wasn't just you that stole him from me. It was the beautiful little girl." She sniffed as she thought back to that night they'd shared in her living room just drinking wine.

_Their giggles were loud thanks to the amount of alcohol they'd consumed and Stuart was aware that he'd not laughed this hard in a long time. He was also aware of how good it felt as he looked over at her. "Thank you," he smiled. "I've needed a good laugh for so long." He made her aware of the point and she smiled at him, her hand lost in her blonde curls as she just stared at him._

"_You need to get yourself a family so that you'll have them to make you giggle when you're done on an exceptionally wicked case," she advised and he just looked over at her, a smile on his face._

"_Come now, it's not even legal for my half of the world to adopt yet. I'm never going to have a child if I find the right partner, that's also a slim option," he laughed as he looked down at his glass of wine that was nearly empty. "I'd love a daughter though. She'd be a beautiful wee thing with long ginger hair and sparkling eyes that could just light up a room and you'd see the love she felt for father and I just from the way she was with us, no matter how old she gets." He laughed before shaking his head. "Oh wow, what a downer on our wonderful conversation."_

"_No. I like the honesty." She teased before going onto tell him about her first marriage._

Reaching into her pocket, she slid a photograph over to him and Ewan picked it up. It was a picture of the three of them at the park. Ronan was in Stuart's arms, a huge smile on her face as she told them something particularly exciting and Ewan's fingers were laced through Stuart's as if they didn't have a care in the world. If the snapshot hadn't have been taken by Stuart's stalker then Ewan would have framed it because it was just one of those simple moments that you liked to remember.

"You've been watching us for a while," he said rubbing the time stamp at the corner that read it had been taken six months prior to this day and she had the audacity to blush as she looked away from him.

"I wanted to approach. I wanted to let him realise that he loves me and he was being foolish by hiding away from his feelings for me but one morning I woke up and my attention seemed just to zone into pictures like that one and I realised that he'd never love me so there was only one thing left to do," she whispered as she thought of what poor Stuart would be doing right now in his make shift prison, "and that was to make sure that no one could have the man I love."

"You selfish fucking bitch," Ewan shouted as his anger took control. "Why couldn't you be like Jackie and just accept that friendship was a perfect approach? He loves his female best friends more than he could ever love me and I accept that!" He shouted as he ran his hands through his hair. "Please just tell me where he is. I want to go home tonight and make sure our daughter still has two dads because sweetheart," he leant in and whispered something in her ear that caused her to blanch a little before he moved away. "I'll give you five minutes or so to consider that as I have to go make sure my daughter hasn't self induced a sugar coma." He pointed out before leaving the room, the door shutting behind him as tears fell down his cheeks.

* * *

Robbie motioned for Jackie to take cover while he made the first move. The shack was literally in the middle of nowhere but it had been owned by Val's first husband, a husband not mentioned in her recent files because he'd caused her many hours of pain that she didn't like to think about, and it was still, according to the same file, owned by a dead man which had got them thinking that this would be the perfect spot. "After three," he whispered holding up three fingers in case she couldn't hear him because of the distance and she nodded her head in confirmation before talking to the uniformed officer she had accompanying her.

Holding out his gun, Robbie counted to three mentally in his head before moving forward and kicking down the door.

"Open your eyes, sweetheart." Ewan's voice whispered and the man shook his head. "They're coming to get you, please. I don't want to have to tell Ronan that you're..." the man's voice was gone as a loud bang filled the room. Stuart's head spun at the sound, his voice not strong enough to create the groan he was mentally hearing before he tried to focus his eyes on the door.

"Ewan, my eyes are open." He whispered as someone called his name and ran over to him, kneeling beside him and checking his pulse. However after his one declaration to the figment of imagination, Stuart collapsed into a world of black.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	11. Chapter 11

**AUTHORS NOTE: So who thought I'd be giving you a quick happy ending to this story? WRONG! I'm going to drag it out a little bit more. Let's give Stuart some more turmoil seeing as he's not in our show anymore :(**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters**

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**[Smug Find]**

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"Daddy," Ronan asked as she allowed her father to wash her face clean from ice cream while she clung onto the rag doll that the detectives had found for her in one of their stockrooms, "is everything okay?" She asked quietly as she tried to read her father's face. Ewan smiled as he looked up at her. He should have known better than to try and hide anything from their perceptive little one.

He sighed as he stopped wiping her face and flashed her a tired smile, "baby, daddy is in a little trouble but Uncle Burke, Auntie Jackie and Uncle Robbie are all going to help him, okay?" Ewan didn't know if she'd understand this but he needed to try. He needed her to understand that with them on the case her daddy would be okay because he believed that too.

"Is it that mean woman that's hurting daddy?" She said knowing that she shouldn't say anything because that was her technically admitting that she'd eavesdropped into an adults conversation which she had been told on many occasions was a naughty thing to do. Ewan just smiled as he pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her cheeks that now tasted like the wet one he'd used to remove the ice cream.

"She's trying but your daddy is strong and won't let anyone..." he stopped talking as his mobile phone went off with the theme that he'd set to Robbie's phone. He flicked his phone open and didn't even have chance to say hello before Robbie said that they'd found him and that they should get to the hospital as soon as possible. "Send me a photo." He said bluntly before hanging up the phone and looking back at his daughter. "They've found daddy, baby. We'll go see him in a minute but first I have to go do something. Is that okay?" The little girl nodded her head and went to sit down patiently on one of the chairs as Ewan moved down the corridor where he slipped into the interrogation room.

"I have nothing more to say to you," Val whispered in a tired tone of voice and Ewan was impressed that she knew it was him seeing as she had her head resting in her arms. Ewan, however, didn't listen and moved to take his seat again.

"Oh Valerie, you don't need to say anything because you see..." Ewan's phone buzzed in his hand and he flicked it open, his face pained as he saw the state that his husband was in before turning the phone round, "they found him." He admitted causing her to look up, her trembling hands reaching out to take hold of the phone.

"That can't be possible... No. He needs to die. He needs to die so you suffer, you bastard." She shouted angrily, her hand slamming the phone down on the table as she glared at him. "This wasn't meant to have a happy ending." She snarled as she slapped Ewan's face, her nails taking some of his cheek with her but he didn't even flinch at the pain.

"Sweetheart," the gangster tone was back and he didn't even notice, "The happy ending is knowing that you'll never see the light of day again. You'll die old in jail," he stood up before leaning in so that his next sentence couldn't be heard by the cameras, "or if I have my way, you'll be lucky to survive a month in jail. It might be a woman's prison but don't doubt my lack of contacts." He promised before leaving the room, her screams of anger following him down the corridor but he couldn't help but smile as a wave or relief washed over him.

"Daddy," Ronan said coming over to him with a tissue, "the bad woman hurt you!" She said dabbing at his cheek but Ewan didn't even say anything. He just scooped his daughter up into his arms, pressed a kiss to her cheek and then carried her out to the car park where a police car was waiting for them so he could take them to the hospital.

* * *

"What's happening?" Ewan demanded the minute he saw the three detectives, his face ducking out of Jackie's reach as she tried to examine his face and just glared at Burke as if expecting him to have the answer. The man's face was grim and Ewan didn't have it in him to hear anything bad. He couldn't allow for the woman to win. He couldn't. He needed to apologise to his husband, tell him he loved him and more importantly tell him that he wanted him to adopt Ronan so that she was all his. "Don't ignore my question. I demand to know what's going on."

"Ewan," Jackie said taking hold of the man and leading him away as Ronan was starting to feel the distress as she clung onto Robbie's hand. "Stuart lost a lot of blood and he didn't have any food or water for days so his immune system has kicked in." She explained causing Ewan to stare at her in confusion. He didn't care about all this. He just wanted to know if he could go speak to his partner.

"Can I go speak to..."

"He's in a coma, Ewan. The doctor's say it's touch and go." She whispered to him before looking down at his feet. "They also believe that if he does wake up, if, then he might have amnesia because of the events he went through."

Ewan didn't let Jackie finish her sentences as he rushed into Stuart's room, his heart breaking at how small he looked in the hospital bed. The torture that the woman had put him through was apparent from the now cleaned and bound wounds that decorated his arms, the black eye and tiny cuts around his face causing him to wince as he walked over and took hold of his husband's hand. "I love you. You have to wake up. Please." He broke down in his tears, his face in the crook of Stuart's neck as he just let his emotions take control.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	12. Chapter 12

**AUTHORS NOTE: Update one. Ker-ching. I'm bad. I know. Assignment due. I'm either watching films or fanfiction. Bad times. I shall start the assignment eventually. I promise. Ish.**

**DISCLAIMER: I only Ewan but he's awesome so I'm a-ok for now.**

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**[Reactions]**

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Moving down the hospital corridor, Ewan froze at the window to Stuart's room and he touched it slightly as if working up the courage to go inside and be with his husband. They had so many things to talk about and so many things to fix or do but yet the man might not even make it through the night. There was a nurse constantly bustling in and out of the room, checking his monitors and doing small tests to make sure that he was okay. Ewan couldn't stand how small his partner looked in the bed, how pale his face was against the harsh colouring of the room and the blood that was already starting to seep through brand new bandages.

"You can go in and sit with him?" A friendly nurse said from behind him, a cup of tea in her hand that she offered him a long with a handful of condiments. "Sometimes it's useful to talk to patients. There's a belief that they can still hear us and sometimes it's all they need to hear. They need to know that someone is here for them."

"He always knows there's someone for him," he whispered sounding so unsure of himself but he accepted the tea before taking a deep breath and opening the door the hospital room. The smell of flowers, also been arriving all day, were overpowering as he moved through the room avoiding Stuart at first. Get Well Soon cards had already started to fill the place from their friends and family, Ewan couldn't help but smile at one in Ralph's familiar scrawl.

"You really are loved," he whispered as he moved the chair next to the bed. "I think everyone would find peace and quiet for ten minutes if I was lying in a coma." He joked lightly knowing that if Stuart was awake he'd yell at him for his negative attitude towards himself. He took hold of the man's hand and sighed as he realised that he couldn't rub his thumb across it like he normally did when Stuart was sick because it was covered in bandages. "I'm sorry we yelled at each other the other morning, Stuart. I really wish we could turn back the clocks. Oh what I'd give to have you back with me." He whispered through his tears as he pressed a kiss to the bandages, his cheek pressing to the hand as he allowed for sleep to take him over – something he hadn't done in a long time.

* * *

Jackie and Robbie stood at the window and watched as Ewan whispered to his husband, tears falling down his cheeks as he seemed to be apologising. "I can't believe Val could do this to them," she whispered as she turned to look at the man, her hand rubbing her throat gently as if she was trying to stop herself from crying.

"Jackie, I'm not trying to defend her but the woman wasn't in the right mental health. She genuinely believed that Stuart was the love of her life and she would do anything to keep him to herself," he thought of the torture that Stuart had gone through and shuddered. "She just obviously doesn't know how to show love or adoration because I don't think torture is a part of the package." He joked lamely but he didn't even crack a smile as he stared through the window at his best friend.

"Do you think he'll pull through?" She asked allowing her tears to finally fall as she realised that maybe this was the end. As a detective, Stuart had gone through some beatings and some actual aggressive wounds like the stab wound when they'd been dealing with those gypsies but could this be the last chance he had at escaping death?

Robbie turned to look at her, his own eyes filling with tears as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Jackie, he has too much to live for. If he dies, I'll bring him back myself and kill him all over again." He promised causing Jackie to chuckle against his shoulder as she held onto him, just happy to have someone holding her for a change over a situation like this.

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Burke stood down in the holding cells, his back leaning against the desk as he stared at the closed door that held the woman in. He could hear her hysterical screams of how they should never have found him and how they'd regret the day that they ruined her plans. He couldn't help but feel tired as he ran his hand over his face. Stuart had defeated the odds. He'd gone longer than anyone else would have in that situation but Burke didn't know how much further the lad would be able to go.

"I love him. I need to see him. Please. Let me see him." Burke growled angrily and slammed his fist against the door causing the woman's hysterical cries to end abruptly but not for very long. "Burke, I know that's you and I know that I'm angering you but my plan would have worked beautifully. He would have escaped, I believe in him, and he'd have realised he loved me."

Burke couldn't help but laugh in the holes in her plan. Robbie had shown him bad mobile phone pictures of Stuart's restraints and even Houdini would have had difficulties getting out of those binds. He'd also seen the cuts around his face, the glass shards still stuck there because it was obvious that Stuart wouldn't let Val near him, and the amount of blood that flooded the floor showed that Stuart didn't have enough strength to even call for help never mind escape.

"You'll be the one rotting now, Val." He called through the door coldly. "Every cop in the world is out to get you right now so trust me when I save you're now in the safest haven you could possibly imagine." He said before smiling as he saw Jenny standing nervously at the door. "Dr Scott, what can I do for you?"

"I just noticed how tired you looked so I was wondering if you wanted to grab something to eat quickly before you went home because what are the chances you'll eat before you go to sleep?" She said boldly but Burke could see that the psychiatrist was still a little bit nervous around him. He smiled brightly. It was the best thing he'd heard all day and he nodded his head.

"That would be lovely," he whispered before offering her his arm and leading her out of the holding cells, Val screaming after them about how they'd pay for ruining her plans.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	13. Chapter 13

**AUTHORS NOTE: OH MY GOD SO MANY STORIES AND SO LITTLE TIME. WHY DO I HAVE CHAPTER FICS ON THE BLOODY GO? GAH! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters**

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**[Waking Up**]

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"No." Ewan shouted angrily at the doctor three days later. "You can't throw that shit at me." Burke, who had been talking to Duncan out in the hallway, raced into the room and looked between both Ewan and the doctor. "Get out of this room." He growled and Burke could sense that he was close to hitting the man. The doctor turned to look at Burke and Burke just pointed at the door. The doctor looked like he was about to argue before just giving up and leaving.

"Are you okay?" Burke moved over to Ewan and squeezed his shoulder. Ewan had his hand covering his face, the sobs loud enough to hear even if he did try to tune them out.

"Stuart signed some document when he joined the police force that said..." the man looked at him for a minute before breaking down again. Burke didn't need for the man to answer though because Burke knew the document. He sighed knowing how that would be breaking Ewan's heart. "I don't get a say in it though. You'd think the spouse would get say especially after so many years. What if he doesn't wake up within that time limit? What if..." He stopped talking as he allowed Burke to pull him in for a hug, a very un-Burke gesture.

"Hey," a voice croaked behind them, "I end up asleep for a while and my husband leaves me for my boss! Why does this sound like some corny story out of those trashy magazines Jackie tries to convince us she doesn't read." He joked before wincing because his throat was dry and it honestly hurt to talk. Breaking away from Burke, Ewan moved over to the bed and literally covered Stuart with his body in a strong hug. Burke, however, moved over to fill a glass with water and grabbed hold of one of the love heart straws that Ronan had bought for when her daddy woke up.

"Baby, I do love Burke but you're always going to be the one for me." He promised reaching down and pressing a kiss to the man's temple before moving slightly so that Burke could help Stuart take a drink of the water. "How are you feeling?" Stuart just looked at him with an expression that didn't look that appealing.

"Fantastic." He commented snidely and Burke rolled his eyes knowing that Stuart was being difficult for no apparent reason.

"Maybe you should go alert the doctor?" Burke prompted gently sensing that Ewan also needed a few moments to compose himself in front of Stuart, the tears starting to fill in the corner of his eyes again. Ewan looked at him and smiled gratefully before leaving. "He's been worried about you, Stuart. He nearly killed Val in interrogation."

"Why was he in interrogation?"

"It was a faux pas on my behalf," Stuart laughed at that before moving his mouth away from the straw. "Stuart, what's wrong?" Burke found himself sitting down in the chairs. His answer was met by silence. "Stuart, I hate to break it to you but all marriages have arguments and..." He stopped talking when Ewan tapped on the door and he walked in with a doctor.

"Mr Fraser, I'm glad you finally joined us in the land of the living." He joked lightly before sitting down next to the man and pulling out his flashlight. "Do you have anything you want to ask?" He said before providing instructions so that he could run a few tests on the man.

"How much of a pain has my boyfriend been?" He asked causing Ewan to look over at him in shock.

"I do think the nurses have fallen for his charm but he's not left your bedside." He said before finishing nof his last test. "You have an amazing guy there." He said seriously before looking around at them. "I will need to keep him here for a little longer for observation before any of you ask but it shouldn't be too long. You will be off work for a while though meaning husband gets to be your slave."

"How I look forward to that," Stuart joked lamely before smiling as Ewan moved back over to sit next to him. Burke followed the doctor out knowing that the two of them would want some privacy. Ewan took hold of his hand. "I'm sorry for what I've put you through." Ewan looked at him for bursting into fits of laughter causing Stuart to look at him feeling slightly wounded. "What?"

"I do believe that you're the only person in the world that would apologise for being kidnapped and tortured!" He said shaking his head before leaning in, his hand stroking the man's bandaged face and pressing a kiss to the split lips. "You're just too adorable." He said before breaking down in tears again.

"Ewan," the ill man grumbled attempting to sit up and wincing as pain shot through his whole body. "Why are you crying?"

"You left early that night to apologise to me, Stuart. If we hadn't have fought then you'd have left with everyone else then she wouldn't have manage to get you." He whispered rubbing his fingertips across the man's cheekbones and smiling through his tears. "I promise you that we're never going to fight again." He said causing Stuart to smile as he shook his head.

"It's never going to happen. We argue too much." He teased before reaching up and taking hold of the man's hand in his and pressed his kiss to the palm. "I just promise to ignore blonde women."

"I like that plan," Ewan teased leaning in and pressing his lips against the man's again. "I'm also very jealous and don't like it when my husband stares at blonde women." Stuart stared at the man, speechless.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	14. Chapter 14

**AUTHORS NOTE: I'm on a mission to write a chapter to all stories that I have on the go by the end of today so wish me luck! I say this but I'm watching CSI: New York at the same time so no promises if I get distracted 'winks'**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters**

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**[Speaking to the Psychiatrist]**

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It had been a week since Stuart had woken up but he was still lying in the hospital bed going out of his mind. He was now pretty sure that his bedsores were getting bedsores from just lying about in the bed. The team had all took turns coming to visit and had brought different things to entertain him. Stuart had already done the paperwork he was behind on, much to Ewan's annoyance, and then he'd even offered to do Robbie's, who was going to accept until he caught the glare from Ewan, before resigning himself to the possibility that he was going to die of boredom in this place.

The head nurse, Nancy she called herself even though her name badge said Dorothy, had brought him a notepad and told him to write. She said it helped to write in situations like this then Doc Jenny, the station's psychiatrist, had came in and said that it was a wonderful idea. He'd just looked at her before she started to laugh and promised that she wouldn't read anything he wrote unless he asked her to which was why he was now sitting up in the bed with a pen in his bandaged right hand as he stared at the first page of the notepad.

Instead of writing anything promising the page was filled with "Mr Stuart McIntyre-Fraser" or "Mr Stuart Fraser-McIntyre" or even just "Mr Stuart McIntyre". He did feel like a teenage school girl but at the same time it was the only thing that had been running through his mind since Ewan had called him his husband last week. Stuart knew it was no big deal but at the same time, it was. Stuart was the only one that ever joked about the husband thing. It was lucky if Ewan even acknowledged Stuart as his boyfriend at times. It was just the way Ewan was and Stuart accepted that just as Ewan accepted that Stuart used the titles at every opportunity, as if almost affirming their relationship.

And now, a week later, he couldn't help but wonder if it meant more. He also knew that Ewan would now only ask for his hand in marriage because he'd been faced to accept that he could lose Stuart at any given moment. They'd talked about it several times. The idea of what would happen if one them died. Marriage was a practical solution as was Stuart adopting Ronan but as much as he wanted to do it, he didn't want to do it for practical reasons. He knew Ewan loved him but sometimes he just needed Ewan to tell him this.

"Detective Fraser," a warm voice said from the door and he looked up to see Jenny standing there, "may I come in or are you busy working on the next big thing?" She teased slightly and Stuart couldn't help but smile.

"Doc," he said waving for the woman to move in but winced as the pain shot through his arm, a painful reminder that he'd asked for them to lessen the pain killers so that he didn't become like most officers when they ended up in this situation – addicts, causing the arm to drop dead down on his bed, "how many times have I told you that you should call me Stuart?"

"It's difficult," she commented moving, "not many detectives or teams are as friendly as the Glaswegian homicide unit." She pointed out before moving into the room and sitting down on the chair next to him. She pointed at the notepad. "Are you finding it useful?"

"No." He said seriously indicating for her to take a look and she did. Holding the book delicately in her hand, she smiled as she looked at the neat script and the various combinations of his name written down. Looking back at him, she smiled slightly and waited for him to talk but at the same time, he didn't know if he wanted to talk. "The night she took me," he started softly, "I had left early to go home and apologise to Ewan. We'd had a fight that morning over something so small but yet I remember it so clearly and yet normally, I don't. I only remember this one because it kept playing over and over in my mind when I was locked away. All I could think about was how pathetic the argument really was!"

"That's just natural, Det...Stuart." She amended quickly causing him to smile. "Couples fight over the smallest things and I'd like to promise you that it won't happen again but that would be a lie because it's just what couples do and it's good for the relationship. You need the small fights every now and again just to remind you why it is you're in the relationship in the first place." She pointed out reaching out and showing him the notepad again. "You're obviously thinking that Ewan and yourself should be moving forward to the next level?"

"I've thought it for a while," he finally admitted out loud to the first person ever, "I want nothing more than to be a legal father to Ronan and Ewan's husband but I think that would be a big step for him. Ewan's only just embraced the idea of being out and proud in public," he smiled remembering the first time when Ewan had took hold of Stuart's hand while they were out with Ronan and how shocked he'd been at how easy Ewan embraced it, "so I don't actually think he wants to be married. I just think he's afraid of what could happen."

"Whereas you want to marry for love," Jenny commented a little quieter and Stuart turned to look at her. She smiled at him. "You might think that Ewan is making it sound practical but are you sure he's not just afraid of saying out loud that he loves you enough to marry you? Everyone who is anyone knows about Ewan's family life, Stuart. The poor man knows rejection better than anyone and how do you think he'd feel knowing that the man he loves rejects a marriage proposal so to save himself from being hurt he makes it sound like it's a practical arrangement."

"Why do I sense that you're talking personally here, Doctor?" He challenged lightly as he reached out for his juice cup. Jenny jumped up and grabbed hold of it for him before moving it over to his lips so that he could take a drink.

"Are you sure stopping the pain medication is a good idea?" She said bringing back up the pain that he'd felt when she'd arrived and he'd tried to wave. Moving away from the straw, the detective looked up at the doctor and smiled at the tactful way she changed the conversation. He indulged her.

"This pain is good, Jenny." He whispered biting his bottom lip. "It reminds me that I've made it through the worse. The pain, however, that I felt in that shack was destroying. It was a pain that taunted me. It was a pain that told me I might never see my family again and it was so painful. I wanted to give up. I prayed that if I died and they never found me, Ewan would be strong enough just to move on but just as I was about to give up, I hallucinated."

"Ewan?" Jenny asked sitting back down and looking at him, a small smile on her face.

"You're not a psychiatrist really, more psychic." Stuart teased before looking back at the notepad she'd carefully rested on the bed. "He was telling me to stay awake and I tried my best. It was just when I was about to close my eyes, Ewan's pleading in my ears fading, when the doors were kicked open. I heard Robbie shouting they had me and felt his weight against me as he shook me awake, his voice now pleading for me to stay awake as he called for an ambulance." He smiled as he looked down at his hands, the bandages thinner than what they had been last week. "So yeah, I'm surviving just beautifully with this pain and I really don't mind. I know that when it's nearly gone and the doctor clears me I get to go home to my family. A family that searched for me despite Val not relenting and telling them where I am."

Reaching over, Jenny took hold of his hand and ran her fingers over his fingers – the only part of his hand uncovered – and smiled at him. "I have to admit, you're the most fairly adjusted client I've ever had. I'm starting to think I want have that many meetings with you and the idea really upsets me," she teased slightly.

"Oh so now it's my turn to walk in on something that could be misinterpreted," Ewan's voice said from the door and Jenny looked over her shoulder to smile at him. "I'm just kidding. Hey doc," he said moving in and squeezing her shoulder slightly before looking over at Stuart. "How are you today, princess?"

"Are you indicating I'm weak?" He said glaring at his partner before smiling as the man leant down and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips.

"Never," he stood back up, "would you like to me to go down to the cafeteria while you two finish up?" He asked looking between the pair of them. Jenny shook her head as she stood up and grabbed hold of her coat and bag that she'd deposited at her feet as she had sat down.

"No but do you mind just standing outside for a minute?" She asked and Ewan just nodded before leaving. Stuart looked at her, confused. "To answer your early question," he saw her now fidgeting with the gold band that she wore on her finger, "my husband was a soldier. His platoon had just been told that they would be leaving for Iraq in six weeks when he knocked at my door and demanded that I married him because if we weren't married then any rights I had, should anything happen to him, wouldn't happen and I was pregnant with his child. My husband, as rich as his family were, had a bad background like Ewan. His family neglected him so he made it sound like a business proposition but I knew he loved me, Stuart. No matter how cold or analytical he made anything sound, I knew he loved me. Think about that now before you make any haste decisions." She smiled before reaching the door. "And I like the double barrelling. It makes it very sophisticated," she admitted before leaving. He heard her say goodbye to Ewan just before he moved inside.

"What was that all about?"

"My psychiatrist was giving me some advice," he promised before smiling. "Do you know when I get to break out of here yet?"

"You're so impatient," Ewan teased as he sat on the edge of the bed and pressed a kiss to Stuart's lips, his fingertips pressing gently against the bandages that covered the top of his head. "You're also staying here until you're fully cleared because I love you too much to be worrying about you." Stuart just smiled.

"I love you too."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	15. Chapter 15

**AUTHORS NOTE: I do believe that this story is now complete with this chapter and if it aint then eh, who cares. I'm leaving it here. I might give you a wedding sequel at a later date so watch this space.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, apart from Ewan, Ronan and Jenny.**

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**[Freedom]**

* * *

"Hey handsome," Stuart looked up at the door and saw Ewan standing there, Ronan holding his hand. They'd both agreed that Ronan shouldn't come visit him until he looked a little less scary and now, two weeks later, the purple bruising had nearly faded and the only wounds visible were from the small shards of glass that had nearly cut his eyes but his little girl didn't seem to mind as she ran into the room and wrapped her arms around his legs.

"I've missed my daddy!" She squealed and Stuart couldn't help but laugh as he gestured for her to climb up onto the bed, he still wasn't strong enough to lift her, so that he could give his princess a real hug. She didn't need telling twice. She was bouncing on the bed, her arms out wide, within two seconds of his gesture and Stuart's face broke out in a grin as he pulled her into his arms, his lips pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Daddy missed you too," he promised causing her to hold onto him a little tighter but he wouldn't let her see the discomfort. He needed this embrace as much as his little girl did and he could see Ewan smiling at them from his position at the doorway. "Now tell me, Ronan, why isn't dad joining in this hug?"

"I don't know daddy!" She said turning round and glaring at Ewan. "Why you not hugging daddy, dad?" She demanded to know and Ewan just laughed. The little girl was always team Stuart, even though Stuart would argue that there was no such thing as teams in their household, whenever there was a situation and he found it sweet. Moving over to them, he wrapped his arms around them both before pressing a small kiss to Stuart's lips.

"I thought the princess would want some time alone with her daddy before I stole him away," he said sincerely causing Ronan to giggle before she grabbed hold of Stuart and using her hips to push Ewan out of the way.

"No! He's mine," she squealed happily causing the two men to laugh.

"Hey! I thought you were mine!" A voice from behind said that sounded a lot like Robbie and Ronan let go of her daddy before sprinting across the bed and literally diving into her uncle's arms, her giggles loud as he blew raspberries against her cheeks.

"I'm replaced so easily," Stuart teased looking at Ewan and the man just laughed.

"You're the only one for me," he promised before looking around at the little room. "So did you pack everything?" He asked grabbing hold of the suitcase just as the nurse walked into the room with a wheelchair, closely followed by Burke, Jenny and Jackie.

"And what do you think you're doing with that?" Stuart demanded glaring at the contraption as if it was about to come alive and eat him whole. "Ronan, do you want a ride?" He asked reaching out for his daughter ignoring the glare of the nurse.

"Detective Fraser, it is hospital policy that patients leave in the..."

"Get in the chair," Ewan said wrapping his arms around his husband and pressed a kiss to his lips. "You might as well get used to the pampering because the minute we're back at McIntyre Manor, you're on your own cowboy." He teased causing Stuart to laugh.

"So what will it take for you to take care of me?" He joked sitting down in the chair, grunting as Ronan bounced into his lap the minute he did waiting for the ride that he had promised her before turning back to Ewan. "Actually die?"

"Babe, if you actually died, I'd bring you back and murder you all over again."

"Detectives, I believe that was a death threat." Stuart said whining to the other three detectives standing in the room with them.

"I'd help him," Burke said with a shrug.

"I'd help him bury the body," Robbie promised moving to take hold of a box of medication that Ewan was struggling with.

"Then I'd provide him with an alibi," Jackie said moving to grab hold of the wheelchair handles so that she could push him out of the hospital.

"And if all else fails, I'll state that he was insane." Jenny chipped in after the three detective's had thrown out their suggestions, causing everyone to laugh even Stuart despite the fact it was his murder they were so thoughtfully planning out.

"Well I'm glad you'd all take care of Ewan when I'm gone," he joked before smiling as he left the small little ward room. "I need blue face paint so I can shout "Freedom" and look cool while doing it," he joked lightly causing the team to laugh as they shook their head. Ronan cuddled up to her daddy, her hand on his chest feeling his heartbeat and her head tucked in at the nook of his neck as if making sure that he was still there with her. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his arms wrapping around her as his own silent promise that he was there and never leaving her. "I fancy pizza. Who wants take out?"

"Oh Stuart..." They all laughed causing him to grin.

* * *

Stuart had won.

McIntyre Manor, as it was affectionately known as, was now empty besides the three that lived there and a mountain of pizza boxes but neither of them wanted to move. Jackie had kindly offered to take care of Ronan for the night so that they could be alone together even if it was just cuddling on the couch like they were.

"Are you ever going to ask me?" Ewan finally said disturbing Stuart's slight slumber but he was now intrigued so he shifted gently, wincing despite the small movements, so that he could look into his partner's face.

"Am I ever going to ask you what?"

"What I meant when I called you my husband?" He ran his hands through the blonde hair. "Don't even try and deny that it didn't disturb you, I know it did."

"Babe, I know it was from the shock of having me alive and with you again. I'd be the same with you," he said covering up his thoughts but he could see that Ewan didn't buy it because the man just laughed before pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Is that what Doctor Scott said?"

"No. Doctor Scott actually said..." he then decided that that was a conversation he wasn't ready for so he sat up, his hand against his ribs as he observed the mess. "Come on, let's tidy up so that your OCD doesn't go overboard and you turn in to a monster." He joked lightly attempting to stand up but Ewan took hold of his wrist.

"Stuart, I'm trying to talk to you here and I'd appreciate it if you didn't run away from me, not this time." Normally Stuart would get pissed at that sentence but he knew that it was right. The last argument had resulted in him running out of the house without even a goodbye and then Ewan had nearly had to face the idea that he would never see his husband again.

"Fine." He said sitting back against the man, allowing him to wrap his arms around him and press a kiss to his temple. "What is it you meant by saying that, Ewan?"

"I want to marry you, Stuart."

"Oh not this crock again," he said attempting to move again but Ewan refused to let go of his grip causing Stuart to call him a few names that basically had the jist of him being extremely stubborn but allowed for the man to continue on his silly little speech that he would totally rebuff.

"Yes, this crock again. Stuart Fraser, are you telling me that you don't want to get married?" This time, Stuart's attempts worked and he managed to pull free. He moved to stand in front of the large fire before turning to look at him, his hands holding onto his chest still but he decided to ignore the slight pain that was building.

"Ewan, yes. I do want to get married. I, however, want to get married for love."

"And so do I." Ewan snapped. "I've already done a marriage of convenience and I can tell you now, it sucks. They're a complete waste of everyone's time and I'd never want to put anyone through that. I'm not going to lie it would be convenient for the pair of us but that's not the only reason. I want the whole world to know that I, Ewan McIntyre, have the love of a man so damned precious the rest of the population should be jealous. I want to walk down an aisle and tell our friends and family that this is for forever."

"I don't do divorce," Stuart pointed out with a grin.

"And I'd be heartbroken if you did," Ewan admitted taking the steps to stand right in front of Stuart. "And besides, the minute you say I do to me, you're never leaving. Ever."

"Oh someone seems pretty sure of himself,"

"No." Ewan said wrapping his arms around Stuart's waist and pulling him close. "I'm pretty sure in us and we can make it. I know we can. So," he pulled away and knelt down on the floor, "I'm sorry that I have no engagement ring but tomorrow I promise to buy us the world's most beautiful promise rings in the world," he said with a laugh causing Stuart to smile, "Detective Stuart Fraser, will you make me, Glasgow's Most Wanted criminal," he grinned while Stuart laughed, "the honour of being my husband."

"Well I'll think about..." He stopped short when Ewan picked him up and started spinning him around. "Okay, you idjit. Of course, I will." Ewan put him down on the floor, a smile on his face as he leant in and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Now that was the right answer."

"So do I get a prize?"

"Me?" Ewan said with a wink making the man smile.

"Oh I don't know," but then at that moment Ewan kissed the sensitive spot behind his ear and he whimpered, "you are more than enough for me," he said with a smile, his lips pressing against the man's as he grinned into the kiss.

It seems everyone does get their second chance after all.


End file.
